BRUNSWICK/BELFAST — Commercial fishermen and members of fishing families who are interested in diversifying their incomes are invited to participate in an aquaculture training course offered by Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center, Coastal Enterprises, Inc., Maine Aquaculture Association, and University of Maine Sea Grant and Cooperative Extension.

Aquaculture production of shellfish and seaweed presents an opportunity for Maine fishermen and other coastal residents to continue to work on the water and maintain a livelihood while producing quality local seafood.

This cohort of Aquaculture in Shared Waters is funded by the NOAA/Sea Grant program.

The 2020 class is organizing now, with classes to begin on Monday, Jan. 6, from 6 - 8 p.m., at the offices of Coastal Enterprises, Inc, 30 Federal Street, in Brunswick. Classes will be held on Monday evenings for 12 sessions, concluding in April.

To accommodate those wishing to participate but reside north of Midcoast, these classes will be concurrently streamed live at UMaine’s Hutchinson Center at 80 Belmont Avenue in Belfast.

The training delivers a comprehensive curriculum on shellfish and seaweed production, covering such topics as site selection, equipment and husbandry methods, regulation and permitting, farm operations, marketing, business and financial management, biosecurity, community relations and public health. The class provides a broad set of reference materials to each participant, and participants are introduced to a set of industry, scientific and regulatory experts, to advance their professional network.

The Aquaculture in Shared Waters Training began in 2013 and has helped dozens of students start or improve their aquaculture business, according to Coastal Enterprises, in a news release.

The class is free of charge and open to all who are interested, with the expectation that they will be committed to regularly attending all 12 sessions. Those who participate at a minimum of 70% of the sessions (either in class or via streaming) and attend critical presentations such as leasing, biosecurity and public health, will receive a Certification of Completion upon conclusion of the training.

For those interested in the program or wish to register, contact:
Nick Branchina, Assoc. Director of Fisheries & Aquaculture, Coastal Enterprises, Inc.
Nick.Branchina@ceimaine.org
Registration is also available and encouraged via EventBrite.com – key search is “Aquaculture in Shared Waters” for either locations.